Pvt. sector wage hike announcement soon
View(s):The Government is likely to announce a wage hike for private sector workers next week. Labour Minister Ravindra Samaraweera made this disclosure at Tuesday’s meeting of the National Labour Advisory Council (NLAC) attended by several unions as members. “The Minister informed us that in consultation with the Ministry of Finance, an announcement on a wage hike for private sector employees would be made before April 5 (the day the budget debate ends),” said Palitha Athukorala, Secretary of IndustriALL Sri Lanka Council. Over the past four to five months, the unions have been agitating for a wage hike with reminders being expressed at every NLAC meeting.
During the 52-day political impasse in October-December 2019, then Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa had reportedly assured that a wage hike would be provided to private sector workers but that was not fulfilled since the short-term government was ousted on a court ruling.
Unions say several other sectors have got wage hikes including the recent one offered to plantation workers.